Now Or Never
by Annika Richards
Summary: Ashlar isn't ready for the Reapings. She has this gut feeling that she'll be Reaped this year, and is too scared to even think about entering the Arena and possibly dying a gruesome death. How will Ashlar react when her worst fears come true? Will she pull through and come out of the Games a Victor?
1. A Gut Feeling

I wake with a jolt, sweat running down my back, hair plastered to my neck. I am used to the nightmares that come the night before the Reaping, but what I'm not used to is the gut feeling that this was the day that I would be Reaped. Grabbing a hair tie off of my nightstand and putting my sweaty, brown hair up in a messy bun, I proceed to the bathroom, knowing I need to clean up a little.

My feet slap against the cold tile floor as I make my way down the hallway to the bathroom that I share with my brother, Owen. The brass doorknob was cool on my hand as I carefully opened the door, careful not to wake up the rest of my family. I take a peek at the mirror before turning on the shower. My hair is stringy and wet with sweat, and my eyes are red and puffy from crying. I sigh. _I look like crap, _I think. Stripping and then hopping into the shower, I scrub the sweat and bad dreams away, warm water washing over me. Wrapping myself in a warm towel, I tiptoe back to my room to go through my closet.

The first dress I find is made of red lace, which is definitely to fancy for this occasion. I continue on through the collection of clothing, finding a light pink dress with ruffles, the thin straps embellished with little diamonds. I smile. I love that dress. I got it when exploring the market at the very edge of our District, District 2. It cost me a bracelet and a necklace, but it was totally worth it. I slip the dress on, relishing the happy memories that came with it. I sit down on the bed, examining my hair. It looks much better now. Instead of the stringy hair I had, I now have soft, silky brown tresses that fall just below my shoulders. Grabbing my brush, I tie it up in an elegant bun, topping it off with diamond hairpins. I look at the mirror. Now _that _is what you call beautiful. I am 18 and look at least 21, beautiful and wise. Now, the only thing left to do is wait. Wait for the Reaping.

Just then, my brother burst into the room. Still too young to be entered for the Reaping, he had nothing to worry about. "Ash! Today is the Reaping!" He shouted excitedly. I quickly hushed him. He is always excited for the Reaping. Both my parents had to come in and drag him out of my room. He talks too much. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the Reaping. This is the moment I've been dreading. The moment that could change people's lives forever.


	2. Reaped

Everyone hurried down the streets to the center of town for the Reaping. Both my parents, my brother, and I made our way down the cobblestone street to the stage in the center of town. I took a little longer, making sure to talk to my boyfriend, Joey, before the big event started. I searched around for a while, my eyes finally falling on a dark skinned, brown haired boy. I tapped his shoulder.

"Ryker." I said. He turned towards me.

"Ashlar! I was just looking for you!" He replied, flashing me his signature smile. I practically melted. I'm pretty sure I blushed too. We'd been dating for over a year, but I still felt giddy when he smiled at me. The bell rang again.

"Oops! We gotta go!" I said, hurriedly taking his hand and dragging him through the crowd, where we stood side by side, his arm around my waist. The maroon curtain on the stage opened, and Effie Trinket clomped out with her chunky high heels that I hated so much. Today, her hair was green, along with her eye shadow. Ugh. It looked like someone puked on her.

"Let's start with the girls. Ladies first." She announced, putting her hand in the glass bowl. She withdrew it, holding a bright white piece of paper. She unfolded it and cleared her throat. My heart stopped, dreading the moment that was to come. I started to shake. Ryker held me closer, sensing my fear. "The girl tribute is... Ashlar Windler." I knew that today was the day I would get Reaped. Officials came marching up to take me onto the stage. _Oh crap. I'm gonna pass out, _I think. Ryker squeezes my hand, bringing me out of my state of shock. Mustering up all the courage I have, I square my shoulders and delicately walk up onto the stage, smiling prettily.

"Now for the boy." Effie continued. I was still scared to death, but I managed to keep my calm. She reached into the bowl for the boys and pulled a paper out. "Ryker Weinders." _Oh crap. Ryker. Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap._ Joey came up onto the stage putting on the same pleasant face as I had. I have him a sideways glance, hoping he was looking. He was. I grimaced, turning my attention back to Effie as she said, " Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor."


	3. Meeting Wallace

Joey and I were escorted to the train that would take us to the Capital, then we were sat down on a couch and told to wait for our mentors. We were alone in the room except for the low hum of the now moving train. A singled tear trickled down my cheek. Joey turned to look at me.

" Christian, I know we can't both come out of this alive, but we should live life as much as we can before the Games start. One or both of us will die." Joey said, taking my hands in his, his dark green eyes piercing mine with a desire I've never seen before. I sighed.

" I know. But maybe we can figure something out. Some way to manipulate the Capital."

" Christian, you know deep down that that won't work. Katniss and Peeta tried and failed. There is no way to manipulate the Capital." Joey said, tucking a loose piece of hair behind my ear. Just then, someone cleared their throat. We turned to the door, where our mentor was standing.

" Sorry to overhear your conversation, but what you said was not entirely true." The man said, walking casually into the room. " Oh by the way, I'm Wallace Greenfield, and I'm your mentor."

" We figured." Joey said, eying him suspiciously. I could see why he didn't trust him. Our mentor, like most, was a drinker. Not as bad as Haymitch from District 12, but still a drinker. Figures.

" So, you guys are... together?" Wallace asked, sitting down on the chair opposite from us. I shifted uncomfortably. Sensing that I wasn't going to answer, Joey spoke up for me.

" Yes." I moved closer to him.

" So, even though we can't manipulate the Capital, we can manipulate the Capital's people. Their simpathy could cause an uprising." Wallace continued.

" But, isn't that the same thing that Katniss and Peeta did?" Joey asked, leaning forward in his seat.

" What Katniss and Peeta did was try to get out of the Games alive." I was confused. Why would that not have caused an uprising?

" Then what are we doing?" I asked, tucking another loose strand of hair behind my ear, somewhat intrigued.

" Saving Panem from destruction." Wallace said, matter of factly. I shook my head.

" No. All I want to do is either die or live, but both of us together."

"Whatever." Wallace shrugged. How could he not care? I sighed. So did Joey.

"We'll do it our way, then." Joey announced. Standing up, his arm outstretched to shake Wallace's hand. Wallace ignored him. Joey gave an indifferent shrug and walked out of the room, me following close behind him.


	4. New Plans

The moment I stepped into the room that Ryker and I shared, I froze. It was more beautiful than I could imagine. The curtains were made out of silk, the color purple like a sunset. The walls were an even deeper purple, almost indigo. The smooth, cotton bedspread was a dark green, like Joey's eyes. It was perfect.

Then, Ryker walked in, looking just as amazed as I was. We stood there for a while, just admiring the layout of the room. The tan and gold tile floor glimmered in the places where the sunlight streamed through the window, making the room glow with a warm light. I finally broke the silence.

"Are we going to clean up or what?" I walked past a vase of purple flowers to get to the bathroom door, placing my hand on the bronze door handle. I turn it, pushing the door open to reveal a candle-lit bathroom, the walls the same color as the room. As I stared in awe at the beautiful bathroom, Ryker snuck up on me, wrapping his arms around my waist, spinning me around to face him. My body tingled at his touch, growing warmer with every second. Instead of leaning in to meet his lips, I wrap my arms around him, laying my head on his shoulder, taking him by surprise. He tenses, then realizing what I'm doing, relaxing and leans into me, resting his lips on my forehead. We stand like that for a while before stripping and showering.

As I enjoy the feeling of warm water running over my body, I remember how this all started. It was strange that both Ryker and I were Reaped. Awful, actually. Only one of us would come out alive. That meant that either one of us lived without the other, or we both died. I silently vowed to commit suicide if Ryker would die before me. It wasn't the best alternative, but it beat living without him. In my time spent contemplating the various manners of death possible for me, I had completely lost track of time, not realizing that someone had been calling my name.

"Ashlar, dinner's ready. Ryker is already waiting." I heard Nolan announced, slightly annoyed that I was taking so long. Too bad. I hopped out of the shower and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, figuring that we weren't doing anything else. It turned out that I was right. When I got the dining room, Ryker was also wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. I sat down, observing the feast set before me. The only part of the meal I recognized was lamb stew, which was my favorite. I shoved in a whole serving when Nolan started talking.

"Okay. Tomorrow, we reach the Capital, which is also the start of your training. Assuming you two train together, it'll be harder for fans to ignore you. Also, I don't think either of you need any personal coaching. You've already got Panem hooked with your story." Nolan said, struggling to cut a piece of steak with a spoon. I stifled a giggle.

"Um... Nolan, you realize you're trying to cut a piece of steak with a spoon, right?" As soon as I pointed it out to him, he froze, switching back to his steak knife. I pushed my plate away from the table, having eaten as much as I could. Ryker did the same. I yawned. "I think it's time that I retire." I said formally, getting up from the table and leaving for the bedroom, Ryker right behind me.


	5. Listen

That morning, I was out of bed and dressed bright and early. Though I wasn't excited for the Games, I was excited for breakfast. I got to the dining car and saw that everyone must still be sleeping. The car was empty except for the murmur of voices coming from the TV mounted on the wall. I sat down on a couch opposite to the TV, and occupied myself with watching recaps from the Reaping. It when through the Districts in order and I made note of each tribute's name.

From District 1, Gold and Marble.

District 2, Ryker and I.

District 3, Dayta and Futura.

District 4, Coral and Zale.

District 5, Bina and Atom.

District 6, Kiva and Brunel.

District 7, Amber and Rowan.

District 8, Lea and Reed

District 9, Zea and Rye (Siblings I think).

District 10, Eve and Angus

District 11, Willow and Till

And finally, from District 12, Brooke and Burnet (Also siblings.).

I was shocked how many tribute were related. Maybe the Capital wants to get back at us for what Katniss and Peeta did. Suddenly, Ryker and Nolan walk in, arguing about who knows what. I quickly turn the TV off before they see me, giving Ryker one of my most beautiful smiles. He immediately stops arguing and returns the favor, flashing me a smile of his own. We all sat down. No one talked for a while, but I spoke up.

"So, are we going to work on our strengths or weaknesses while training?" I asked Nolan while picking at my stack of pancakes, slathered in syrup.

"What do you think, sweetheart?" He growled, emptying his glass of what looked to be beer. I felt Ryker tense beside me and I squeezed his hand to let him know that Nolan didn't offend me.

"Our weaknesses. That way, other tributes will find it harder to eliminate us." I replied, carelessly flipping my hair. Nolan nodded.

"Someone's on the right track. I was just arguing with Mr. Overprotective here about my training methods, but it seems like two out of three agree." Nolan said, looking pointedly at Ryker. Ryker glared at him and started to get up, but I grabbed his arm and forced him back into his seat. He sighed heavily and I elbowed him. His dark green eyes looked at me, pleading me to let him go.

"Ryker, if you want to get out of the Games alive, you'll have to listen to Nolan, whether you like it or not." I said, running my hand through his hair. He sighed again.

"Fine, but only for you."


	6. Training

After breakfast, Ryker and I were told to get dressed for training in some clothes that the Capital had laid out for us. We both slipped them on and I tied my hair back in a loose ponytail that just grazed my shoulders. Ryker was standing by the mirror and using on of the Capital issued combs to tidy up his hair, which I personally liked messy.

We walked out the door together, meeting Nolan by the elevator. Ryker took my hand, holding on tightly. This was the only thing he was scared of. Heights. The elevator walls were made of glass, showing us just high up we were. I put an arm around him, trying to comfort him. His eyes were closed, trying to forget the far away scene of the Capital the elevator gave us. I felt him relax once we reached the bottom.

We stepped out into a huge indoor arena, all the other tributes already there and training. I observed the area around me. There was archery, swordsmanship, camouflage, knot tying, weights, and endurance. I chose weights, since I'm not strong at all, and Ryker chose archery, which he totally sucks at.

As I struggle to lift a 15 Lb weight, I look around the room, seeing what the other tributes were doing. Gold, a girl with wavy blond hair, was camouflaging herself into the fake trees that were by the camouflage station. Brunel, a boy with black hair and icy blue eyes, was shooting arrows with Ryker, who was struggling to notch an arrow.

I abandoned my hopeless fight with the dumbbells, which were, actually, as dumb and they sounded, and went to help Ryker. I walked over to him and stood behind him, putting my hands over his on the bow and arrow, my heart fluttering at how close we were. I slowly pulled back the arrow to his cheek.

"Now, let go." I instructed after helping him aim. He let go, getting a bulls eye. That's when I realized everyone had stopped training and were watching us. Knowing what I was supposed to do, I took the bow from Ryker and notched another arrow, pulling the string back to my cheek. I aimed and let go, splitting the wood arrow Ryker had used right down the middle.

I turned around and saw that most of the tributes were staring at me, open mouthed. I smiled a little, realizing that I could have that effect on people. Ryker took the bow from my hands.

"My turn." He flashed his breathtaking smile at me, shaking his hair away from his face. He notched the arrow carefully, then pulled back the string to his cheek, letting it go. It flew through the air and straight through the back of the target, landing on the floor behind it. It was an amazing shot, even if it wasn't a bulls eye.

"Wow." I said, not sure what else to say. "That was great for a first try."

"Actually, I've been practicing when you've been practicing with knives. The Capital bows are much harder." Ryker said, blushing slightly. My eyes widened.

"So that's why there are so many holes in the shed out back!" His ears turned red.

"Maybe?" Just then, Nolan came over, looking angry. His face wall all red and scrunched up. He grabbed us both by the arm, and dragged us out of the room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! I told you NOT to play to your strengths! Now every tribute in the games knows what to watch out for when they see you two!" Nolan shouted at us. Boy, was he mad.

"Thanks for your concern, Nolan." I said pleasantly, then turned and walked back into the indoor training arena. I sat down and started tying knots at the knot station. A couple of minutes later, Ryker came up and sat down next to me with an identical piece of rope.

"Wallace really pissed you off, didn't he?" Ryker said calmly, looking at me. I shrugged.

"So do you. So does my brother. Its not really any different." I explained, hoping he would understand. He frowned instead.

"I annoy you?" He asked. I sighed. Maybe this would teach him something.

"This is how much you annoy me." I replied, leaning over and kissing him full on the lips. After a while, he kissed me back. I broke away. "Happy now?"

"The best." Ryker replied, smiling and going back to tying knots. I have know idea what I would do without him. Hopefully, I'd never find out.

"So, training's going to end soon. Do you think Nolan will have cooled down by then?" Ryker's expression hardened.

"I don't know, Ash. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."


	7. Together Forever

That night, we sat around the dinner table in silence. Nolan didn't even join us. Instead, it was Effie Trinket, this time, with purple hair. I think the Capital doesn't trust us being alone at the dinner table, but it's not like we would walk right out of the doors; They're heavily guarded. I was personally glad that Wallace wasn't there, because it would have been a lot harder to eat. He was probably hiding in his room, drinking the whole stash of liquor he had hidden in there. In a way, I felt sorry for him. Sorry that he had to resort to drinking to make all the bad memories go away. Effie spoke, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"So, what did you do to make Nolan so mad?" She said eagerly, wanting all the gossip she could get. I took a sip of my water to clear my head.

"Well, we showed off at the training session today." I explained with a shrug.

"Why would that upset him?" Effie frowned.

"He said that every tribute now knows what to look for when they see us." Ryker answered for me. I could see the frustration practically radiating off of him.

"Hmph." Effie replied, obviously disagreeing with the way Nolan had reacted. I disagreed too, but didn't want to show it. By this time, it was already dark outside, and we had finished with dessert. My muscles ached from wrestling with the weights all day. I elbowed Ryker, then excused myself, walking slowly down the white hallway to my room, opening the door.

I sat down and all the stress and worry of the pass couple days hit me all at once. First one tear, then another trickled down my cheek. Soon, I was sobbing, covering my face with my hands. My shoulders shook with each dry sob, until I had none left, and I just sat there gasping. The moment I calmed down, I started to sob again, this time, even louder.

Ryker came in just as I finished crying my heart out, sitting down right next to me and holding me to his chest, rubbing my back. I sobbed into his shirt, creating a large stain on the shoulder. No matter how hard I cried, he waited it out. When I was finally done, I looked at him. He had tears in his eyes and was looking sympathetically at me.

"You alright?" Ryker asked quietly, running a hand through my hair. I nodded, then cleared my throat, which was raw from crying so hard.

"Why is this happening to me? Why am I stuck here? Why do you and I have to face the same fate? Why?" I demanded pleadingly, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. Ryker brought me close to him again, kissing the top of my head.

"I don't know, Ashlar. The only thing we can do is make the best of it. Its the best I can think of." Ryker said quietly. Then, he looked at me. "But, I can think of something that might make it better." He leaned down and kissed me. Warmth spread through my body, his lips firmly pressed against mine. I pressed into him, bringing my arm around his back, my nails digging into him. My other hand kneaded his silky, dark brown hair. I closed my eyes, relishing the warmth of his body against mine. He pulled away, his emerald green eyes looking straight into mine, true concern for me showing.

"Better?"

"Much."

"I wish we had more time together. That this wouldn't be the last few months with you." Ryker said, his index finger tracing the crease of my upper lip.

"I wish there was a way we could be together and cause an uprising all at once. Some universal solution." I said, looking away from him, at the floor. He brought my head up with his hand, looking into my eyes.

"There is a way, Ash." He got down on one knee, taking my hand. "Ashlar Windler, will you marry me?"


	8. Broken and Mended

**Previously: "Christian Windler, will you marry me?"**

That was totally not what I was expecting. And what I also wasn't expecting, was my reply to sound like this..."I'm sorry, Joey. I really love you, but I don't think I can marry you. Please understand." I saw his hope filled face fall. I think I shattered his heart right then and there. My heart ached, seeing him hurt like that. "I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you, but I have so much to sort through before I can make a decision like that." I tried to explain. Joey, however, just stood up, looking at me, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." He said stiffly, turning to leave the room. I caught his arm, standing up to face him. I leaned in and kissed him. I really didn't want to ruin our relationship or have him think I didn't have feelings for him. He pulled away, frowning. "I'm really sorry." He said, and then spun on his heels and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

I stood there in shock. Joey seemed so hostile towards me, it was hard to believe all I did was just decline his proposal. I sat down on the bed once more, a single tear trickling down my cheek. I was crying for the second time that day for a completely different reason. Joey's feelings for me couldn't have changed, but the way he acted towards me certainly did. I sat there sniffling until an Avox came in to make sure I went to bed. I crawled under the covers completely clothed, falling into a troubled sleep.

* * *

_Leaves crackle underneath my feet as I walk through the forest, the trees growing closer as I walk even deeper. I turn as something rustles to right. Then there's a blood curdling scream. Joey's scream. I run towards the sound, branches and thorns tearing at my clothing. When I finally reach him, it's too late. There is a loud boom of a canon and Joey's there laying on the ground, his twisted body drenched in blood, his eyes glazed over._

* * *

Someone was shaking me awake. Shouting my name. The lights came on in the room. Someone was screaming, and a moment later, I realize its me. I start to sob, shaken by what I had seen in the dream. It seemed so real. My vision was blurred with tears, but I wiped them away, able to see clearly again. Joey was sitting on the bed right next to me, his hand on my shoulders, looking worried. Both Wallace and Effie were standing behind Joey, along with two Avoxes.

I took a shaky breath, avoiding Joey's eyes. He surprised me by speaking. I could tell he wanted to hold me tight, but was holding back.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, his hand flexing as if he wanted to take my hand, but couldn't. I nodded. Maybe this would help bring him back to me.

"I was in the woods, when I heard you scream. I came running, but a canon fired and you were...you...you were laying on the ground, drenched...drenched in blood!" I burst into tears for a third time in 24 hours. This time, Joey did not comfort me. He just stood up and stepped away, whispering something in Wallace's ear. Wallace nodded and walked over and sat on my bed, while Joey walked out of the room. Wallace sat there rubbing my back and holding my hand until I had cried my last tears. How I still had any left from before, I had no idea. Wallace sighed.

"So, you guys aren't together anymore?" I jumped. What?

"Who said that?" I had a feeling I knew who told him.

"Joey." I bit my lip to keep form crying again.

"He asked me to marry him." Effie squealed excitedly. "But I said no." I finished. That hit everyone in the room like a brick. Effie started to sob and Wallace frowned at me, shaking his head. "Couldn't! Not with everything thats been going on!" I exclaimed, angry that everyone disapproved of my decision. Wallace patted my arm and whispered in my ear.

"I think you just ruined the chance for Panem's rebellion, sweetheart."

* * *

I was depressed the next couple of days leading to the games. For every arrow I notched at training, I got a glare from Joey and completely missed the target. Every knot I tied came loose, which I found ironic, because that was literally how my life was going. Every fire I built went out, reminding me of my dream the night before. Joey's behavior last night convinced me that he was over me, so I didn't even try to talk to him, which got me a couple of curious looks from the other tributes. I devoted myself to lifting weights, which was seemingly the only thing I was improving at.

By the time dinner came, I had already taken a shower and was wearing my pajamas, while everyone else wore their regular clothes. I barely ate, even when a Avox placed my favorite hot cocoa in front of me. If Wallace and Effie noticed something was wrong, they didn't show it. The interview night approached quickly, and soon enough, I was ushered into a dressing room.

I wouldn't talk to my prep team, so I didn't know their names, and I didn't even bother to look in the mirror when they were done. I just nodded my head, and was then ushered out on stage. Apparently, procedures had changed, because I was placed in a seat right next to none other than...Joey.

* * *

Joey sat there looking completely at ease. That is, until he saw me. Caesar Flickerman noticed our discomfort, and started asking questions.

"So, if you two are supposed to be together, why are you acting like she's poisonous. I can see the looked you're giving her." He said, addressing Joey. He hesitated.

"We had...um...some complications I guess you could call it." Joey said with a shrug. I looked at the screen. It showed two amazing looking tributes. I looked more closely, and I saw that Joey had circles under his eyes that no amount of makeup could cover, and I looked as if I would cry at any second.

"I would say it was more than just a small complication. Would you care to tell us what really went down?" Caesar said, this time talking to me. I sighed, looking at Caesar.

"You ready?"

"Panem's waiting."

"Five days ago, Joey asked me to marry him." I said, pausing to let the crowd react. There were whispers and sniffles. I continued." But I said no. I didn't want to make Joey hurt any more when I died. I didn't want him to be ruined. I wanted him to live on while my life is stopped. He, however, didn't take it that way. He took it to mean that I didn't love him, I think. That I wanted to hurt him. No of that's true, but I'm afraid we're too far gone to be mended." A tear ran down my cheek, falling on my dark blue dress, shining like one of it's many sequins. the crowd was a mess. They sobbed and shouted. I looked over at Joey, but he was completely expressionless. He caught my eye and shook his head. No. We were never going to work. Yes. We were too far gone.

Now that I knew what was really going on in his mind, I was broken. My heart ached for the times when we were together in the small wooded area in District 2, his arm around me. I couldn't believe that those times were over, that he would just give up on me like that. I was angry. Angry at the dark haired, green eyed boy who broke up with me in public. Angry that he gave up on me. Angry that he was so selfish that he couldn't suck it up and tell me to my face that we were over. Angry at the coward who used to look me in the eye and tell me he love me, but wouldn't say that I made him sad.

Impulsively, I stood up and face Joey. I saw the confusion in his eyes as I brought my fist down on his jaw. I heard a crack and his hand flew to his face. He spit blood out onto the floor. "And **that **is for breaking my heart, you coward!" I shouted, then walked off stage. I probably overreacted, but it seemed like a great idea at the time.

I was greeted by Wallace at the door, who dragged me back the arm to the living room, where he sat me down on a chair and started pacing. "What the hell did you think you were doing! You just attacked a tribute from your own District! You said you wanted to get out of the Games alive, but I don't see you trying real hard!" Wallace shouted at me, his face turning red. I stood up.

"The lives of the people of Panem are more important that mine." I said loudly, trying to convince myself. What had I gotten myself into? Wallace chuckled. What was so funny?

"Now, you see my point. I've been trying to get you to cause an uprising since you got here, but it was always, 'No. I want Joey and I to live.". All it took was a little bit of planning and you did it. Panem will be proud on day." I froze.

"So you set me up?" I couldn't believe he would put me through all this to get what he wanted.

"Well, the initial situation was real. Joey asked you on his own. He told me what happened, and I told him to stay mad at you until the end of the interviews. He did what he was told. Better, actually." Wallace finished, obviously proud of himself. I wasn't proud of him in the least. I walked over to him and swiped my nailed across his face, doing damage for the second time that day. He clutched his cheek with his right hand, blood trickling down his neck.

"Never trick Christian Windler, or else she will do MUCH worse than that." I threatened, then raced past him, slamming the door behind me and storming into my room.

Joey stood in there, holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and an ice pack against his cheek in the other. My heart stopped. Some part of me had been wondering if Wallace was lying, but no. Joey was standing right in front of me. Smiling. At me. I smiled back, making him grin, which quickly turned into a wince. His jaw was already black and blue. Ouch.

I ran over to him, then looked into his eyes. I could still see hurt in them, but more of the kind he would get when I'm the one who's hurting. I traced his jaw where I hit him. "I'm so sorry." I whispered, a tear trickling down my cheek. Why am I always crying? "No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I had to put you through all this." Joey said, putting the bouquet in a vase by the door and taking my hands. It was hard to see him so remorseful. It was like hitting a kitten and asking the kitten to forgive you. In no way whatsoever was this Joey's fault.

"Love you. I love you so much. I wish you'd take me back, Joey. Please." I pleaded. Instead of replying, he kissed me long and hard, which I took as a "yes". Maybe my life wasn't so awful after all.


	9. FAQs

**Questions By Viewers**

**Q- Are Christian and Joey from District 2?**

**A- Yes, they are both from District 2?**

* * *

**Q- How come Christian can hunt?**

**A- Christian can't hunt, but can shoot. She has shot arrows to prepare for the Games since she was 6 years old. She uses targets that are propped up against her shed.**

* * *

**Q- How come there is a forest in District 2?**

**A- The forest in District 2 isn't a true forest. It's a grouping of trees that only covers about half of a square mile.**

* * *

**Q- Why is Effie Trinket there? Shouldn't she be in District 12?**

**A- Effie got shifted from District 12 to District 2 after Katniss and Peeta died 2 years before in the Games.**


	10. Story Information

**Story Info**

**Important background information- **It's two years after the Capital let Katniss and Peeta die in the Games, and there was no rebellion. Effie was shifted from District 12 to District 2 and Wallace won the Games 25 years before.

**Character information-**

**Joey -**

**Age: **18

**Height: **6ft 3 in.

**Hair color: **Dark brown

**Eye color: **Emerald green

**Skin color: **Tan

**Dating: **Christian Windler

**Christian Windler-**

**Age: **18

**Height: **5ft 8 in.

**Hair color: **Light brown

**Eye color: **Dark brown

**Skin color: **Slightly tanned

**Dating: **Joey

**Notes:**

**- I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**- Please review!**

**- I am NOT a professional.**

**- I appreciate instructive criticism!**

**- I LOVE reviews.**

**- I love my fans.**

**- I REALLY love my fans.**

**- I have GOT to stop typing... **


	11. Let The Games Begin

**I know I said that I wouldn't update until I had four reviews, but I just couldn't resist! Thanks for supporting me so far! The story line isn't that clear right now, but I assure you that it is different from Susan Collin's "Hunger Games."**

* * *

There was one more day left until the Games, and Joey and I spent as much time together as possible. I was prepared to do anything I could to save him. I apologized to Wallace, who slapped me in the face when I was finished. I guess I deserved it, though.

The day came when we were ushered out and onto a helicopter, where they inserted trackers into our arms. I flinched when they jabbed the needle into my skin, my eyes watering. I would have to be a lot stronger than that to protect Joey. We held hands the whole way there, listening to the other tributes voicing various threats towards the rest. Everyone ignored us. Whether they did it to be nice, or they thought we weren't a threat, I do not know. It was nice to have silence between us for our own thoughts.

I thought about Owen and my parents. How were they dealing with this? What did they think when I punched Joey in the jaw and knocked out his tooth? What about when I called him a coward? Do they expect me to come out alive? My mind swirled with questions, totally impossible to answer at this point in time. When we finally landed at the arena and were ushered into separate rooms to dress, I pulled my self out of my thoughts and had finally come to terms with my mandatory death.

Then, I was led into a glass tube, bringing me into the arena. I gazed around me in awe. We were by the ocean, but on the other side, there were tall, gray mountains, piling high overtop of a lush, green forest that trickled off into a beach with glittering water. Being from District 2, this was totally new to me. I looked for Joey to see what his reaction was. I found him looking at me. He jerked his head back to the forest. I nodded, showing that I would meet him there. Just then, the count down finished, and the horn sounded. The Games had begun.


	12. Bloodbath

As soon as the horn went off, everyone around me took off for the cornucopia, and I started to follow them. They were pushing and shoving, trying to get there first. I lost my balance when Malibon from District shoved me out of the way, skinning my knees, but I got up. Blood trickled down my legs. Joey must have seen me go down, and he screamed at me to get up.

" Go, Christian! What are you doing! Run!" He screamed, his voice cracking. I ran towards him, just as another tribute came up behind him with a dagger. Reaching him just in time, I tackled Joey to the ground, protecting him with my body. An arrow flew by, whistling in my ear, and went straight through the tribute's chest. He let out a choked gasp as blood trickled down his chin and he collapsed on the ground next to us. The canon went off, signaling another death.

I bit my lip to keep from crying. How cruel was it that a thirteen year old had to die because of something that happened a long time ago? I stood up and helped Joey to stand, then we took off for the forest. Just as we reached the edge of the woods, a knife flew by me, slicing open my flawless cheek, blood gushing down my neck and face, on to my shirt, which, luckily, was black. I stifled a scream, tears streaming down my face, burning the deep gash in my cheek, but we kept on running.

Joey suggested we stop, but I told him I was fine, even though I wasn't. Blood still trickled down my face, staining it red. I couldn't feel my cheek, and I was starting to get dizzy from blood loss. I was glad when we finally sat down at the edge of a small creek with glittering, clear water. I looked at my reflection in the water, seeing a woman with messy hair, one side of her face sporting a deep gash and blood stains that ran from her cheek to her collar bone.

" Joey, how bad is it?" I asked, looking at him. He had a few minor scratches on he face and neck, but otherwise looked fine. He tore a piece of cloth from his shirt and drenched it in cold, creek water.

" I can't tell. There's too much blood. I'll have to clean it first." He said, putting the cloth on my cheek. I bit my lip, waiting for agonizing pain to come, but it didn't. He carefully wiped the blood away from my neck and face, gently dabbing at the wound. The way he touched me made me shiver. It was hard to realize that the man who would kill so many people the next few days, could be so gentle with me. When he finished, he sat back, examining the wound. He frowned.

" What's wrong?"

" I can see bone. It looks pretty bad." Joey said, still frowning thoughtfully. Then, I realized something.

" It'll get infected, won't it?" Joey shrugged.

" I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. We'll have to wait and see. I think it should be covered for a while until it heals more." He replied, ripping another section of his shirt and handing it to me. I took it and pressed it up against my cheek to both staunch the bleeding and prevent infection. There was a loud boom as a canon went off. It sounded close.

" We should move." I said, standing up. Joey glanced at my torn knees.

" Are you okay to run?"

" I'm fine. Let's go." I said, helping him stand again. We started to jog in the opposite direction we came from, towards the towering mountains. The closer we got, the colder the air became. The trees around us thinned, becoming more stick-like and gray. We stopped at a large boulder on the ledge on the side of the mountain. I shivered. Steam rose off of our heated bodies, our breath freezing in the air. With no equipment or weapons, we decided to go back down the mountain to where it was warmer, the light from the sky quickly fading.

Finding our way back down the mountain was worse than going up. My cheek had begun to throb, which I took as a good thing, and it was already dark. My fear of the dark was just as great as Joey's fear of heights. I hung on to him the whole way down, then we stopped at the bottom and curled up next to each other, trying to get as much sleep as we could before morning came.


	13. Mutts

I woke up to a deep rumbling coming from my stomach. I had not eaten in over a day, hunger gnawing at my stomach in painful throbs. A swig snapped to my left, then another one, resulting in a deep grumble. This time, it didn't come from me. Slowly turning my head to the sound, I glimpsed the massive outline of an animal, hidden among the trees. I elbowed Joey, careful not to move real quickly.

Joey's eyes flew open and he opened his mouth to speak. I put my hand over his mouth, slowly gesturing towards the bulky shape in the trees. Joey's eyes widened as he shifted to see the shape, but it was gone. I didn't relax quite yet, because I knew that the Gamemakers loved to catch tributes off guard. Joey, however, didn't seem to sense this danger, and relaxed right away. We waited for a few minutes without talking.

"I think it's gone." Joey said quietly. I put my finger to my lips, hushing him. A twig snapped from behind me, causing me to whip my head around, tearing the thin scab that had formed on my cheek. Blood spurted out of the wound as I fumbled around for a weapon. The animal was sure to smell the blood from my cheek, sense that I was weak, and attack.

I grabbed the thick branch we picked up on our way down the mountain last night, brandishing it like a club. I was just in time, because the huge animal jumped out of the shadows and into the clearing, it's matted fur bristling and greasy. It's jaws were so muscular looking, that I didn't doubt it's ability to tear me in half. Blood dripped from it's massive fangs and onto the ground. It had killed before. It would kill again.

The beast lunged for Joey, but I dove in front of him for the second time in 24 hours. I swatted at it with my club, catching it on the nose. It let out an angry roar and zeroed in on me. I was a mess. Blood was flowing freely down my face and I was covered in soil from sleeping on the ground all night. The animal, which I concluded as being a Mutt from the Capital, swiped at me with one of it's ginormous paws, it's razor sharp claws just grazing my arm. I winced as the points dug in to my skin, tearing the flesh into shreds. My arm stung like hot knives had been jabbed into my arm, coming in painful throbs. I tried to ignore the pain, but it was too much to handle.

Just as I was about to give up, Joey came from behind me and shot an arrow into the beast's chest, then another, and another. After about five arrows, the Mutt let out a pitiful whimper, it's eyes glazed over, then it's heavy breathing ceased. I slid down into a sitting position up against a tree, unable to stand. Blood loss had exhausted me, along with the pang of hunger that resided deep within me. That's probably why they call it the Hunger Games. Most of the tributes die of hunger.

"Christian, stand up, baby. Its all over. Its gone." Joey coaxed, concern in his voice. My vision was foggy and it was getting hard to breath. I felt him come over and kneel down by me, taking my hands. "Baby, don't leave me. You're all I want. Without you, there's no purpose for me in this world."

Dread filled me. If I died, Joey wouldn't want to live on without me. This knowledge gave me the strength to stand, so I did. After struggling to stand, leaning against the tree, Joey hugged me, but I pulled away and kissed him, pulling away again after a brief while.

" I'm not ready to leave you yet." I whispered into his ear, accidentally smearing blood on his face. He reached over and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

" Me either." He whispered back, kissing my forehead lightly. The worst part of this ordeal wasn't that there was blood and pain, but that we would both die, or one of us would live. Either way, there was no "us".

" By the way," I continued," where did you get the bow?" Joey grinned.

" The Mutt's last meal." He replied. I whistled at him. Joey is always full of surprises.

We continued on our way, slowly making our way back to the beach, where there was going to be either other tributes, or extra supplies. Hopefully, it was the latter. We had no such luck. We made it to the beach in one piece, but getting supplies would prove to be even trickier.

A group of tributes had made camp around the cornucopia, guarding the supplies stored inside with mines. In order to get food or weapons, we would have to get through five tributes, knives and arrows, and mines. The only thought that entered my mind before charging at them was, " May the odds be ever in your favor in the Hunger Games."


	14. Darkness

My feet pounded against the hardened sand, tinged red with blood. I'm pretty sure they heard me before they saw me, because volleys of arrows flew by my head with no direction. One arrow, amidst the chaos surrounding us, found its way towards Joey. He flung his hands up to protect himself, getting an arrow through his hand. I heard him cry out, but I couldn't stop. If I did, I would become an easier target.

My hair whipped around my face as I continued dodging arrows. A brown haired tribute rushed at me when I reached the mouth of the Cornucopia, wielding a blood soaked dagger. I dodged her easily, looking behind me to see her get taken out by the archer's wild shots. They were all going to end up dead if they kept shooting like that.

Hearing Joey shout, I spin around, just in time to see him snap a smaller tribute's neck. The sickening crunch of breaking bone echoed in my ears, causing my stomach to lurch. Why must the world be so cruel?

The fight was going quickly, blurred at the edges from the blood I lost earlier in the morning. Another tribute came to me, this time with a sword, coated in blood. He caught me in the throat, barely touching me, but very close. I didn't move, sure he would drive the sword into my neck if I did.

"Time to say goodbye, little girl. Too bad Panem won't survive without you." He hissed in my ear. I squirmed to get away. He pressed the sword against my throat even harder. I felt a small trickle of blood run down my neck, the wound stinging as he pressed harder. I spat in his face, and he got angry. Really angry. His face turned bright red, and he started to grind his teeth.

" I am NEVER going down without a fight!" I growled, struggling against the point of the sword. I grabbed the sword with my hands, the blade biting into my fingers. I groaned from the pain, biting my lip to keep from screaming. Blood ran down my hands, dripping on the ground, adding to the red in the sand.

I shoved the sword back as hard as I could, the edges slicing my fingers open. The blade embedded itself in the tribute's head with a sickening crunch, the body crumpling onto the ground. To my surprise, the damage to my fingers wasn't that severe. The tribute's skull, however, was split in half right between the eyes. The weight lifting during training really paid off. Hearing shouting coming from the other side of the Cornucopia, I sprint to Joey's aide, only I find a circle of dead tributes around him. Besides his bleeding hand, he seems fine, which was the best thing that had happened all day.

The fight seemed like it had lasted hours, but it was really a couple of minutes. My ears rang from the shouting and the canons that went off as tribute after tribute fell. Kicking a stray body to the side, I strolled over towards Joey, who was panting heavily and leaning up against the Cornucopia. I ran over to him as quickly as I could. Sand had gotten in my mouth, making my voice hoarse and gravely.

"Joey, are you okay?" I croaked, putting my slitted hands on his shoulders. He nodded, trying to catch his breath. Suddenly, his eyes widened.

"Christian, look out..." He barely had time to warn me before something sharp pierced my back. It felt like a hot poker had been shoved into me. The pain made my vision blurry, my feet falling out from underneath me. I could just make out Joey killing another tribute, before my vision got really fuzzy. Somewhere inside me, I knew I was dying. I tried to call for Joey, but instead I made a strangled gurgle, blood streaming down my chin from my mouth.

Joey was right beside me. He gently wiped the blood off my face with the hem of his already stained shirt, starting to sing to me. The song was that of love and never ending light, one that I had never heard before.

_Underneath the willow tree,_

_We will sing,_

_Just you and me._

_The sun will shine,_

_And birds will sing,_

_And we will have everything._

_When light fades,_

_And all is dark,_

_Still sing,_

_Does the lark._

_When all is gone, _

_And quiet,_

_You'll still be by my side._

_Underneath the willow tree,_

_We will sing,_

_Just you and me._

_When all is gone,_

_And all is dark,_

_I will always remember,_

_The willow tree._

A tear trickled down his cheek, his eyes glistening as his voice caught on the last word. My eyes also welled up with tears. Though I knew I shouldn't, I reached up and wiped the tears off his face with my thumb, the sudden movement sending a jolt of pain through my body. Ryker took my head in is hands and leaned over to kiss my forehead. I let out a ragged breath, my vision becoming dark and cloudy, no longer able to feel the pain from the knife, nor blood drenched sand around me. The pressing darkness overcame me, and I knew it was of no use to resist, so I fell into the dark chasm that threatened to drown me. All I saw was darkness and was no more.


End file.
